I’ve been working on a Presario SR2011WM. It’s a basic, low-end, single-core Celeron D system from 2006 or so. It can take up to 2 GB of RAM, runs Windows XP adequately, and has SATA ports, so you can put an SSD in it if you want. But don’t be fooled by the name–the Celeron [...]
All posts tagged windows 7
Notes on the Compaq Presario SR2011WM
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 12, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/notes-on-the-compaq-presario-sr2011wm/
The trouble with bringing your own software
PC Magazine is advocating a bring your own laptop, with your own software approach to business. It likens it to mechanics who bring their own tools. The trouble is that while mechanical tools in a toolbox operate autonomously and don’t interfere with one another, software residing on a computer does.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on May 3, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/05/the-trouble-with-bringing-your-own-software/
Don’t read too much into the PC sales drop just yet
If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you probably know that new PC sales are in the toilet–out of the five biggest vendors, the only one whose sales managed to hold steady in Q1 2013 was Lenovo, while the other four saw a sales decline. So now Slashdot linked to a ZDNet piece stating [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on April 17, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/04/dont-read-too-much-into-the-pc-sales-drop-just-yet/
The benefits of doing IT at home, too
Earlier this week, The Register touted the benefits of having a home lab. That lab doesn’t necessarily have to be elaborate. But there is definitely something to be said for having some equipment that you can learn and experiment on, and that can break without the world ending.
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 9, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/02/the-benefits-of-doing-it-at-home-too/
My phone’s micro SD card made Windows Disk Manager hang, but I fixed it
The micro SD card in my Android phone (a Samsung Galaxy S 4G, if that helps) quit working suddenly, and I finally got around to investigating it on Friday. I ended up having to solve two problems to do it, though. Let’s start with Windows 7′s Disk Manager hanging at the message that says “Connecting [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on February 2, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/02/my-phones-micro-sd-card-made-windows-disk-manager-hang-but-i-fixed-it/
If you needed another reason not to buy Windows 8….
I’m still waiting for someone I know to tell me he or she likes Windows 8. I’ve seen some strangers online say they like it, but not a lot of them, and many of them appear to be astroturfers because they just like it too much. I’m sure Apple loves it, because, like my boss [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on January 21, 2013
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2013/01/if-you-needed-another-reason-not-to-buy-windows-8/
If you’re wondering where those anti-Google ads came from
If you’re wondering why political-style anti-Google ads are suddenly running everywhere, it’s no coincidence. Microsoft has hired one of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s advertising masterminds to try his hand at campaigning against Google. While it seems to be having some effect on public opinion, its effect on market share and Microsoft’s bottom line will take [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 17, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/12/if-youre-wondering-where-those-anti-google-ads-came-from/
A fast way to turn a pile of images into an Adobe Acrobat PDF file
I have a collection of magazine scans that, inconveniently, came as a series of JPG images rather than as PDFs that are more conducive to reading. To make the files readable on a tablet or e-reader, I needed a way to make them into PDFs. There are any number of ways to do it, but [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on December 3, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/12/a-fast-way-to-turn-a-pile-of-images-into-an-adobe-acrobat-pdf-file/
What to make of this Black Friday’s sub-$200 laptops
It’s still a couple of weeks off, but we already know two retailers will be offering sub-$200 laptops on the day the United States gorges itself on bargains. The question is, what do you get for your $200 on these minimalist laptops? I’ll answer those questions, then you can decide whether they’re worth $200 and [...]
Posted by Dave Farquhar on November 12, 2012
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/11/what-to-make-of-this-black-fridays-sub-200-laptops/
Review: Insignia NS20EM50A13 monitor
My 15-inch Dell LCD died this weekend. Its date of manufacture was October 2001, so I can’t complain. I bought it used a number of years ago and paid a pittance for it. It had been acting up for more than a year, and at least it had the decency to wait until a potential [...]
http://dfarq.homeip.net/2012/12/review-insignia-ns20em50a13-monitor/